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Why The Gmail Scan That Led To A Man's Arrest For Child Porn Was Not A Privacy Violation

  • 7 August 2014
  • 4 replies
  • 495 views
jpasternak
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Userlevel 7
Why The Gmail Scan That Led To A Man's Arrest For Child Porn Was Not A Privacy Violation
Posted 9 hours ago by Sarah Perez (@sarahintampa)

 

No one will argue against the outcome of a case which saw a man arrested on child pornography charges, after Google tipped off authorities about illegal images found in the Houston suspect’s Gmail account. But the nature of how the discovery came about led some to questions about the methodologies used behind the scenes. Was Google actively scanning Gmail for illegal activity? Was Google overstepping its role as a service provider by tipping off authorities about the data hosted in a user’s Gmail account? – or soasked security firm Sophos shortly following the incident.
Those questions, however, seem to misunderstand the technology Google used to help make this arrest.
 
Today,Gmail customers generally know that Google uses a type of automated technology that scans your email for keywords and phrases in order to display relevant advertising to support the free service, and that no human ever actively reads your personal email.
 
[ Full Story >> ]
— Jeff

4 replies

R
Rank
Userlevel 7
Gmail should receive a reward for catching that low life scum bag on child pornography. Customers are aware of how Gmail scans ones email that should not be a problem unless that person is doing some illegal.
R
Rank
Userlevel 7
Excellent article!
 
GMail is doing what they are supposed to do. 
nic
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
While I'm not sad that this guy got caught, I'm still wary of this sort of technology.  Sure they're only looking for child porn right now, but they could easily apply that technology to all sorts of things.
R
Rank
Userlevel 7
True!
 
Every email client can. 
 
I am not all that comfortable knowing the ability is there. Email is not secure to begin with and with a supeona, they can get it.
 
All we can do is hope the government does not over step their bounds. Since 911, security has increased and government surveillance increased as well on  all of us. The law abiding citizens are being watched in order to find the bad guys, whether the bad guys are citizens or not, we all get watched.
 

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